Mama's Boy 3: Growing Up and Letting Go
by BabbleBaby
Summary: She knew the day would come, when she realised he was more man than child, she just didn’t realise it’d be this soon. - This is the third installment in my Mama's Boy series.


**Title:** Mama's Boy 3: Growing Up and Letting Go.

**Rating:** K+  
**Summary:** She knew the day would come, when she realised he was more man than child, she just didn't realise it'd be this soon.  
**Authors note**: This was written for the biggest fan of this series, Susan, for her birthday! She's also a huge fan of the idea of NH having a baby Natalie – so I give you baby Natalie! I hope you have a wonderful day and it's the beginning of the best year yet! Thank to Lori for beta-ing, and Andie for her help also!

Just quick age recap, because I had to have a good think about it myself!

_Jamie – 16 – nearly 17 – nearing the end of his junior year of H.S_

_Lily (Karen and Keith's daughter) - Ditto!_

_Olivia – 10_

_Matthew - 7_

_Keith (Lucas' son) – 3 ½_

_Natalie – 20months_

* * *

"Can you show Mama the blue circle, Natalie?"

"No." The young toddler giggled, pushing the wooden circle behind her back, and holding out a red piece to her mother.

"That's red silly," Haley laughed, reaching over and tweaking the child's nose, smiling at the loud burst of laughter that filled the room. "Give Mommy the blue."

"Mine!"

"The blue's yours?" The little girl grinned, her mop of thick dark blonde curls bobbing madly as she nodded. "Well, can Mama have one?"

"Mama Wellow!"

"Mama can have the yellow one? Oooh, thank you sweetie." Taking the yellow building block, she placed it on top of the stack she'd been building with her daughter. "Do you want to put the blue one on?"

"No. 'aime"

"What's that honey?"

"Blooo 'aimes!" She glared at her mother, clearly frustrated by the fact that Haley hadn't understood her the first time, her little foot stomping onto the ground.

"The blue's for Jamie?"

"Yah!" Earlier frustration instantly forgotten the child beamed again, making her own little stack of all the blue blocks she could find. When they'd first started teaching her colours they'd associated them with family members. Purple's Olivia's favourite, Green for Matthew, Blue for Jamie, and now anything blue was Natalie's favourite too. Haley was pretty sure she was going to have to explain to the girl one day soon that she and Jamie were related, because her youngest child was head over heels in love with her eldest.

"Well, I'm sure he'll love them when he gets home soon. Yes, I'm sure he will!" Knowing the rest of her brood would be descending on them shortly she surveyed the living room from her spot sprawled out on her stomach on the floor, it might not be immaculate, but it was tidy enough. She tried to give Natalie some one on one time each day before the others came home, she was in a clingy stage, and the luxury of not having gone back to work yet meant that most days she could afford to spoil the little one a bit, before her attention needed to be divided between all of her children. It was a nice perk, one she hadn't had with the others, with Jamie she'd been well into college life and juggling a job, and she'd gone back to work fairy quickly after having Olivia, and then when Matthew was born she'd had two children at home all day, every day. She'd thought she'd get restless not working, with just her and Natalie at home, having worked since she was 12, and Karen paid her and Lucas five dollars each to clean dishes for her at the cafe, but with four children, a husband, and a big house to take care of, not to mention numerous friends and family dropping by unannounced at any time she was lucky to have time to catch her breath, much less miss work. And she loved it.

Brought out of thoughts by Natalie squealing Jamie's name as the front door opened and shut, wincing at how it clanged in the frame. She was hoping once Jamie got used to the growth spurt he'd had the summer before High School he'd stop being so heavy handed, but no such luck yet.

"Jamie honey one of these days you're going to take the door off its hinges slamming it like that." She teased, pulling herself up to her feet, and following

"Yeah whatever, Mom."

"Excuse me?" She stood stunned, as her generally polite child didn't spare her a glance over his shoulder before bounding past her and upstairs.

"'aime?" Natalie called after her brother, first confused, then tearful, walking over and tugging on her mom's jeans. "'aime?!"

Reaching down and placing the child at her hip Haley bounced her up and down trying to soothe the tears that came when her brother didn't do as usual and sweep her up into his arms, tickling her into a frenzy. "It's okay sweetie, don't worry about your silly brother!"

"Awww Natalie what's wrong?" Lily asked, slipping into the door, mumbling something under her breath, stopping short when she found her aunt holding her sniffling cousin in the hallway, a blonde boy nearly falling over the pretty brunette at her sudden movement. "Come to Lily, baby."

"Sorry." Haley apologised, when the toddler shook her head, burying it in Haley's neck, sniffling further as Haley rubbed her back soothingly.

"Is she okay?"

"She's upset Jamie didn't talk to her when he came in."

"Oh ignore your big brother Nats, he's an idiot!"

"Id-ot!" Whines disappearing the word, the word came from the child mouth clearly. Causing Lily to laugh, and the boy behind her to give a small snigger.

"Thank you for that, Lily." Haley rolled her eyes at the latest word that'd just been adding to her child's rapidly growing vocabulary, walking into the kitchen, her niece and her friend in tow she put Natalie down, who promptly toddled over to a baby doll she'd left by the patio doors earlier. "Hi, Nick, how are you?"

"I'm good Mrs .Scott"

"I told you, call me Haley, I'm not your teacher anymore and you've been coming around here long enough now. Jamie's hidden up in his room if you want to head up, I'm not sure what his mood was like in the car, but he didn't seem too happy to be home."

"Actually Hales," Lily smiled, reaching over and taking Nick's hand in hers as he stood uncomfortably, shifting from one foot to the other. Ever since Lily had begun talking she'd called Haley, Hales, picking it up from Lucas. Andy had tried to convince her it was Auntie Haley, and that it was disrespectful to call her otherwise but Haley had just laughed it off, not minding at all. It still felt weird when on the odd occasion Lily would call her Haley, much less Aunt Haley, which she generally kept for when she was talking about Haley to others. "Nick's here with me, he's my boyfriend."

Smirking, Haley resisted the urge to laugh at the ever changing array of boys the pretty curly haired teen brought through her doors. "Oh really, what happened to Ryan?"

"He was annoying, and Nick's much hotter. Aren't you, baby?" Haley had covered her mouth to stop the smirk that appeared as Lily beamed at her clearly uncomfortable boyfriend. She knew well he was a cocky one at school, but Lily seemed to have the ability to make the most confident of her boyfriends blush like an eight year old with their first crush.

"You know I don't think Jamie's going to be happy with you dating all his friends."

"I don't date all his friends!" She scoffed, mouthing a shut up at Haley, cocking her head in Nick's direction telling her silently to stop talking about her ex boyfriends in front of the current one.

Throwing her hands up in an apology, Haley smiled at the now blushing girl, offering her a bottle of water. She liked to play a big game, but she was just a sweet child deep down. "Talking of my sullen boy. What's going on with him, do you know?"

The teens shared a look, clearly uncertain whether or not to let their friend's mom in on his business.

"C'mon. What's happened?"

Raising an eyebrow at the pair, who opened and shut their mouths before looking at each other again, Haley was about to push further when the house was filled with noise. Her kitchen suddenly full as her brother in law, nephew and son joined them.

"I'm hungry!"

"Me too!"

"Hello boys." Haley shared a laugh with Lucas at how neither boy even bothered with a hello before Matthew opened the fridge for them to riffle through. Keith mimicking his elder cousin.

"Keiff! Keiff! Play!" Natalie piped up, thrusting her doll in the older boy's face, who swatted it away.

"No Natalie! I'm going to play big boy game with Matty."

"Keiff, Matty, Play!" Natalie grinned, clearly thinking she'd come up with the perfect idea.

"Moooom, tell them to go play together." Matthew sighed, sitting up at the kitchen counter. "I don't want to play with babies!"

"Hey! I'm not a baby! I a big boy! Right Dadddy?"

"Yeah, Keith, you're a big boy, you spent all day at preschool today didn't you?" Haley answered, handing her nephew a juice box, Natalie reaching out for one also, grumbling a little when she was handed a sippy cup instead.

"Yep!"

"Do you live here, now?" Lucas ruffled his sister's hair, earning a glare in return.

"No, I always come over for dinner on Friday. What are you doing here?"

"It's my best friend's house." He mocked, giving Lily the answer she always gave him whenever he walked in to find Lily yet again taking up space somewhere in the house.

"Well it's my best friend's house too."

"And who's this." Rolling her eyes at her brother as he pulled up a chair between herself and boyfriend Lily looked over at Haley, trying to silently ask her help, as the mother looked on amused.

"Nick..."

"He's her boyfriend." Haley answered for Lily, always finding Lucas in big brother amusing, so much different to the days she'd been on the receiving end of it.

"Haley..." Lily whined, it was one thing to tell her young cool aunt she had a new boyfriend, it was another for her over protective brother to know.

"Sorry," She shrugged, making silly faces at her daughter who was amusing herself running around her legs. "I didn't realise it was a secret."

"It's not." Lily looked over apologetically at the boy who was now squirming in his seat. She should have had Jamie just drop them at home.

"Well, Well. Hi Nick, I'm Lucas, Lily's big brother."

"Big ass of a brother."

"Play nice kids." Haley teased, watching the siblings interact, wondering if her own boys would tease Olivia as much when she started to date. Or even her baby, she wondered, taking Natalie up into her arms.

"You know I love you, Lukey." Lily grinned, knowing the nickname would wind him up.

"Don't call me Lukey."

"Alright, Lukey"

"You're such a brat!"

"I love you too big bro."

"I'm going to go play upstairs, Mom." Matthew said, seeing the show was over, and hopping down off the barstool. Lugging his backpack back over his shoulder.

"Me too!" Keith said, throwing his own backpack over his shoulder as he followed his cousin out of the door.

"Me!" Haley putting the squirming toddler down, her legs already making moves to run after her brother and cousin when they hit the ground.

"Help your sister up the stairs, Matty please sweetie."

"We're going to go sit outside, Hales."

"Hey, not so fast," stopping the two teens before they could make it out of the door Haley returned to her earlier line of questioning. "What's going on with my boy?"

"Something's up with Jamie?"

"He completely ignored Natalie and I when he came in, and hasn't been down since, and instead of hibernating up in his room with him these two have been sat down here with me so I know his mood must be really foul."

"Fine. I'll tell you, but you can't tell him I told you..."

"I think he's going to know, Lil." Glaring at her boyfriend, who'd said pretty much the first words he dared since he came inside Lily motioned for him to meet her outside. The adults in the room laughing when he complied without question.

"He saw Emma kissing a boy."

"What?" She hadn't been expecting that, a fight with his girlfriend maybe, but Emma was a sweet girl, she wouldn't do that to Jamie. Would she? "She did what?"

"We were at our lockers, and she came out of the gym with this guy from her class, some senior I don't know his name, and they were holding hands, and then she kissed him. She didn't know Jamie was there."

"Whether she knew Jamie was there not Lily, I can't believe she'd kissed another boy. Are you sure you saw right?"

"She was just at the other end of the hall, and she's really changed since they broke up and.."

"Wait, what? When did they break up."

"You didn't know? Maybe I shouldn't.."

"Lily Rose"

"They broke up two weeks ago."

"Why? I thought they were going to stay together when they went to college. " She'd had her reservations about her son entering into a long distance relationship with his girlfriend when she went off to college in the fall, and Jamie stayed in Tree Hill to begin his senior year. Knowing how hard physical separation can be from the person you love at that age, and had tried to explain to him the pit falls, but he'd just told her that he loved Emma, and wanted to give it a shot, and she was hardly in a position to question commitment to the person you love at sixteen.

"So did he, but I guess she had other plans. He won't really talk to me about it, but all I know is they were fighting a lot, and then they broke up, and he's been a complete bas—grump, ever since."

"Oh, god, poor Jamie." She ran a hand through her hair wondering what best to do. She knew he'd probably prefer to just be left alone, not have his mom interfering in his business, but her baby was upstairs hurting and she couldn't just ignore that. "Thank you for telling me, Lily, you can go outside now. Luke, listen out for the kids please."

"Knock, knock, mother coming through." Haley sing-songed pushing open the bedroom door to find Jamie sprawled across the bed, his shirt lying haphazardly on the floor, looking so much like his father as he threw a basketball up into the air and caught it. "Jamie..."

Noticing a shift in weight on the bed, Jamie slipped his headphones out of his ears. "What do you want, Mom?"

Ignoring the way he squirmed under her touch Haley reached over and ran a hand through his hair, smiling sweetly down at him. "Honey, why didn't you tell me you and Emma broke up?"

"I'm going to kill Lily."

"Hey, now, c'mon. You came in with a face like thunder, not even taking the time to say hi, and I was worried about you. If it makes it any better she didn't give it up easily."

"It doesn't." Reluctantly relaxing under his mother's ministrations Jamie sighed, he had to admit it felt nice to be comforted. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you."

"You don't have to be sorry sweetie, I'm just worried. Are you okay?"

"Not really." Laughing a sad laugh, Haley leant forward and kissed his forehead. "It really hurts, Mom."

"Oh, baby, I know." Her heart breaking for her son Haley continued to try and soothe him. "I'm sorry you had to see that."

"Lily told you about the kiss then."

"Yeah."

"I don't know how she could do that to me, Mom." He lay flat on his back, seemingly engrossed in the ceiling, rolling the basketball between his hands. He was so like her, he couldn't keep them still when he was speaking, and she notice over the past year he'd taken to shoving them in his pockets to disguise it. "I love her and she doesn't even care enough about me to wait until I'm not around to kiss some other guy."

"I bet she didn't know you were there, I don't think she'd intentionally hurt you like that Jamie, you were together a long time."

"If she cared about hurting me she wouldn't have broken my heart." Tears building in her eyes for her son's pain Haley willed them down, not wanting him to see how much his heartache made hers do the same. "She told me that she felt trapped, Mom, that she loved me but it was all too much, but if she loved me why wasn't it enough, why did she feel like she had to be with other people."

"Oh, my boy." She pulled him into a hug, letting him relax into her, be the child she knew he still was despite what he tried to show the world. "It'll be okay."

"How?" He looked at her pleading. "How will it be okay?"

"It just takes time Jamie, one day you'll wake up and it won't hurt anymore."

"How would you know?" Jamie pushed away from her, the pleading tears that had shone in his eyes replaced with anger.

"Jamie?" She asked startled.

"This is all your fault you know."

"Excuse me." She was taken about by the venom in his tone, the hate in his eyes.

"You and dad, it's all your fault. How would you know what it's like to have your heart broken, you come in here acting like you know, like you can make it all better, but you've never felt this way Mom, you wouldn't understand. You've been married to Dad since you were my age, he never broke your heart, he never kissed another girl in front of you, he never made you feel like you weren't enough for him."

"Jamie.." She knew to some degree he was right, but it still hurt for him to lash out at her like that, she knew she didn't deserve it, but she knew he didn't really mean it to hurt the way it did.

"You know what she said to me? She said 'we aren't your parent's Jamie. People don't get together and stay together in High School, it doesn't happen'. She said my expectations were too high, she said I wasn't being realistic."

"Honey.."

"No, Mom, she's right, I was stupid to think we'd last, people don't meet the person they're going to be together forever in highschool, and I know that, and you used to tell me not to rush into things, but I loved her, and I was stupid and naive, and I thought if she loved me too we'd make it work, we could have what you and Dad have, but we couldn't, and it's because I came on to strong and she got scared."

"You weren't stupid Jamie, you were in love."

"If you really think I love her why are you telling me it's going to get better." He moved so he was at, his legs dangling off the side of the bed, sadness washing over him against as his tall shoulders slumped down "If I love her won't I always feel this way."

"There are different kinds of love, Jamie, and just because you loved Emma now, it doesn't mean you're not going to fall in love again, of course you are."

"I don't want to fall in love again, I love Emma, I want Emma."

"Baby, I know you do you just.." He laid back down, turning his back to her and shoving his headphones back into his ears.

"Just leave me alone, Mom."

"Honey." He turned back, anger radiating from his blue orbs once again.

"No, you don't understand, you can't understand, you've never been here, you can't make it better. I don't want to talk to you about this Mom, I'm not Natalie's age, a kiss where it hurts isn't going to make it better this time. Especially when you don't know. You just don't know

"Just because your dad and I..."

"Leave me alone, Mom." He plugged his ipod into his stereo – music blaring loudly into the room instead of his ears.

"Jamie." She pleaded.

"Please."

Nodding reluctantly at his plea, she shook her head sadly, walking over to the door and slipping outside, the pounding bass line that followed her out shaking the floor beneath her feet.

"Jamie okay?" Lucas asked, when she made it downstairs, hoping the tears she'd rubbed off her cheeks as she walked down the stairs hadn't left tracks.

"Not really." She smiled sadly, watching Matthew teach Keith how to play one of his computer games, with Lily with Natalie near by. "Where's your boyfriend, Lil?"

"His mom called, he had to go home. Just 'cause Jamie's being a brat that doesn't mean I don't get to stay for dinner right?"

"Of course you can stay for dinner, Lily, and he's not being a brat.." The teen gave her a sceptical look and Haley sighed, "Okay, maybe he is, but he's heartbroken, Sweetie, give him a bit of a break."

"Yeah, I know. Hey, can I hit Emma?"

"Excuse me?"

"Well, if I hit her, and I get in trouble, and I tell Mom you said it was okay, I won't get into trouble."

"No, Lily, you can't hit Emma!"

"Why does Lily want to hit Emma, Mom?" Matthew asked, and Lily gave Haley an apologetic smile.

"She's just playing, Matty."

"If I ask when the kids aren't around can I do it?"

"Go back to your play dough, Lily." Haley laughed, all the while not sure whether she hoped Lily would go through with it or not. She'd never condone hitting the other girl, and she'd always thought Emma was a nice girl, even if she'd initially had her reservations about Jamie going out with someone older than him, but her heart was breaking for her child, and whether she had her reasons or not Emma was to blame. "You two staying for dinner Luke? I don't know that I trust you to go home and cook with wifey away, she'd kill me if she came home to a charred kitchen."

"Yeah," Laughing Lucas put down his newspaper, and taking Keith off his own and putting him down on the sofa next to Matthew. "Let me come help you."

"How's he doing?" Lucas asked, when they were alone in the kitchen, sensing Haley's need for comfort herself he pulled her into a hug.

"I don't know what to say to him Luke, he's so upset, and so angry. She broke his heart."

"Do you want me to talk to him?"

"No, it's okay, Nathan'll be home soon and maybe he'll have more luck." She pulled out of his embrace, giving him a smile of thanks as she busied herself getting out the things for dinner. "Although, he seems to blame us some, too."

"What do you mean?"

"He says that I don't understand what he's feeling because Nathan and I have been together since we were his age, that we gave him false hope, and he's right I suppose. Not about the false hope, but that I don't understand. For everything Nathan and I went through I never really truly believed we were over, even back in senior year when I came back from touring, never in my heart did I really believe he'd find someone else and move on without me. So as much as my heart is breaking seeing him in so much pain, maybe I just don't get it."

"He's just hurt and lashing out, Haley, he doesn't mean to push you away."

"I know, I just want to make it better for him, the older he gets the harder it is, and I hate the feeling that he's growing up, and slipping away from me. That I don't have that place in his life anymore where I can make it all go away."

"You're always going to be his Mom, Hales, that's never going to go away. He's always going to need you."

"You're right, I know you're right. It's just hard." She sighed, glancing over at the clock wondering where the final members of her family were. Nathan was supposed to pick Olivia up from her dance class a half hour ago.

"Mom!" Speak of the devil. "Mom, guess what?"

"What?" Haley asked, standing on her tip toes to peck Nathan's lips before turning back to her leotard clad daughter.

"Amanda said I can sleep over at her house tomorrow, Can I?" Her eager blue eyes shone up at her parents, as she bounced excitedly from foot to foot. "Can I?"

"Are you going to stay there all night? Cause last time you said you would and daddy had to come and pick you up when you woke up in the middle of the night."

"I will Mom! Daddy! I promise! I'll stay there all night. Pretty Please!"

"If you're sure you want to stay Livvy, you can stay." Haley smiled, laughing at the excited twirl the ten year old did as she ran out of the room.

"Thank you! Thank You! I'm going to call right now."

"Hi," Haley shook her head turning back to her husband. "How was your day?"

"Good. How was yours?"

Before Haley could respond Natalie barrelled into the room crashing into her daddy's legs. "Daddy up!"

"Hi Munchkin." Watching the father and daughter interact Haley remembered when it was that easy to cheer Jamie up, when Nathan had been his hero who could make everything alright just by coming home. "So, how was your day Hales?"

"It was good, we played a lot huh Natalie?"

"Yah!" The child agreed, squirming to put back down when Lily called her name.

"So, I have some news." Haley said, swatting at Lucas hands as he grabbed at the vegatables she was chopping up and pointing for him to go sit by his brother. "Jamie and Emma broke up."

"Can't say I didn't see that one coming."

"Really?" The petite woman asked, looking over at her husband shocked. "Why didn't you say anything."

"Well, she hasn't been around as much, and Jamie's spent more time with his friends," The tall man, looked over at his confused wife, and rubbed at his jaw line, getting the feeling he was about to get into trouble. "Look, Hales, i didn't say anything cause I figure he's told enough to deal with his own relationships, if he wanted to talk about it with us he would, and as for spending more time with his friends I thought it was a good thing. He's too young to spend all his time with his girlfriend."

"You mean the way you did when you were his age." She stood hand on hip, pointing the knife she'd been using in his direction, an eyebrow cocked challengingly.

"Hey now, when did this become about you and me. We're not talking about you and me, and stop waving that knife at me." He joked, holding his hands up, while Lucas shook his head at their martial banter.

"Ask your son."

"Huh?"

"He seems to think it's our fault they broke up."

"How is it our fault?"

"Well he.."

"Uh, Hales." Lucas broke in, his eyes wide, his voice croaked, as he pointed behind her, Nathan spitting out the mouthful of coffee he'd just taken as he followed his brothers eye line.

"Mommy." Haley let the knife she'd been holding fall against the chopping board, her mouth twisting into a smile as she fought the urge to burst into laughter.

"Yes Olivia." The little girl stood before parents, and uncle, her leotard pulled down around her waist, the little cropped cotton cami top Haley had bought her just weeks before covering her flat chest, which was now padded out with what appeared to be balled up legwarmers.

"I need a bra."

"Oh you do, do you?" Haley laughed, earning her a scowl from the child before her, who put her hands on her hips definitely.

"I think this sounds more like a Mother-Daughter talk, let's leave them to it Lucas."

"Daddy." Olivia reprimanded her father, shaking her head at him. "It's nothing to be embarrassed about. I have boobies now!"

"Uh," Swallowing against his rapidly drying throat Nathan's eyes darted toward the doorway. His daughter didn't need a bra, she didn't have boobs, and she was never going to need a bra, or have...those as far as he was concerned.

"Oh daddy, you're so silly." Rolling her eyes at her father, and uncle who was hidden behind the newspaper she turned back to Haley. "Mom, can you take me to buy a bra tomorrow please?"

"Honey, why do you think you need a bra."

Sighing, and hauling herself up onto a chair, she slumped her head down on her hands. "Cause Amanda has one and I need to have one too when I sleepover or she'll laugh at me."

"Aw, Sweetie." Walking over and hugging her daughter to her chest Haley smiled, remembering what it was like being her age and wanting to be like her friends. Only Haley's problem was that she had boobs, and none of the boys she hung out with did! "She's not going to laugh at you. You don't want a bra, they're horrible things."

"I do! Mom, I do!" Haley wondered whether to give in and take her daughter into town the next day and buy her a training bra, but with one of her children dismissing their need for her, it was hard to admit her little girl was growing up also, plus with her tall althetic figure Olivia definitely wasn't in need of support for her flat chest. "I want boobies!"

"And you'll have them one day hon." She had to stop herself from falling over laughing, at the put upon look on her daughters face, and the way her husband and best friend were trying their best to act like they were anywhere but in her kitchen, listening to her daughter talk about boobs.

"You have big boobies! And Grandma Deb has REALLY big boobies! Auntie Tay, too! I want big boobies too!"

Nathan whipped his head around glaring at Lucas who had given up the fight and let out a loud burst of laughter. "Oh Livvy, your Auntie Taylor's boobs were a Christmas present from your Uncle Christopher."

"Huh? What does that mean?"

"Nothing." Nathan growled, whacking Lucas in the arm. "It means nothing."

"Well it has to mean something Dad." She rolled her eyes, her dad could be soo stupid sometimes. Just like her brothers. "Mom, please get me a bra, please, please!"

"We'll see." Maybe she would take her into town and buy her some sort of training bra if it would make her happy. A week in it and she'd lose interest.

"Mom!"

"Hey.." Haley warned, as the brunette child banged her fists on the counter. "You act like that and not only will you not get a bra, but you won't be staying at Amanda's either. Now go put some clothes on and let me get back to making dinner."

"Fine." Huffing Olivia off the chair, walking out of the room, stopping at the door to pull the legwarmers out of her undertop and throw them at the adults heads, running up the stairs cackling to herself.

"That's one interesting child you've got there." Luke said, clearly amused at what had just gone down. "Don't think I've ever seen you so red, little brother."

"Shut up." The taller man grumbled, looking over at his wife for support who was giggling along.

"Oh like you can talk, Lucas. You ignored me for a week when I got boobs."

"I did not!"

"Yes you did! Karen told my Mom! I thought I'd done something wrong, and your mom said I hadn't, you'd just finally realised I was a girl."

"At least I didn't do what Skills did." He'd barely got the sentence out before the two friends were laughing again leaving a perplexed Nathan to look on in wonder. He thought he knew all their secrets by now.

"What? What did Skills do."

"Offered her 5 to meet him at the Rivercourt and show them to him."

"Excuse me?" Nathan blinked, looking over shocked at Haley to confirm the story for him.

"Boys will be boys." She shrugged, moseying around the kitchen. Feelings his eyes boring into her as she did so. "What? I didn't do it! I was like 11, and I hit him for it, but it's funny now."

"First I found out he asks my Mom to flash him, now my wife."

Haley let out a loud laugh, holding onto the counter top at for support. "Oh my god, I'd forgotten about that."

"I hadn't." Nathan shuddered, "Unfortunately I'll never forget that."

"Aww, poor baby." Haley winked at him over her shoulder. "I'll flash you later for free, will that make it better."

"Oh yeah." He growled, walking across and pinning her against the counter from behind, discreetly groping her boob that was out of sight from his brother.

"Oh Gross. Still in the room guys." Lucas mumbled, concentrating on the task Haley had set him for dinner, he really hated when they spoke about sex in front of him.

Keeping his arms wrapped around his wife from behind Nathan kissed her softly behind the ear.

"You two are way too affectionate for old people." Lily announced, sitting down next to her brother.

"We're not old, thank you." Nathan told her, letting Haley lean against him as he leant against the side, after she put the dinner in the oven. "What's this I hear about you having yet another boyfriend."

"Yet another boyfriend." She mocked, rolling her eyes, and playing with a thick dark brown curl that fell in front of her eye. "I don't have that many boyfriends."

"Yeah you do, Lil" Lucas responded, "It gives my indigestion just thinking about it."

"Indigestion? See you are old. Anyway at least I'm still a virgin. There is no way I'm following in the family tradition of having a baby before I'm 20, no thank you!"

Lucas cringed, unsure if he was happy to hear his sister confirm that, or if he just didn't want her to talk about it at all.

"Well, that's a very good idea hon, but Lily, everyone in this room is married." Haley reminded her.

"Uh, yeah I know. I was talking about Jamie."

"What?" Haley's form became rigid as she looked over at Lily, Feeling Nathan shift around behind her, and Lily mouth a sorry over her head she turned quickly to see Nathan making dismissive motions at the young girl. "You knew?"

"Hales I.." Nathan began...

"I'm so sorry, Nate, I thought she knew." Lily's eyes pleaded for forgiveness as she looked over at the older man, she hadn't meant to drop him in it. Jamie had told her his dad knew he was having sex and she thought Haley and Nathan told each other everything. She was in so much trouble!

"Excuse me for a minute, Lily, Lucas, watch the dinner. I need to talk to my husband."

"Hales I.." Nathan began his grovelling as soon as the bedroom door shut behind them.

"You knew Jamie was having sex!"

"Yeah, but.."

"You knew Jamie was having sex but you didn't tell me!" She paced up and down next to the queen sized bed, her hands flailing around, turning and pointing an accusing finger at her husband. "No, you knew Jamie was having sex and you let it happen?!"

"What was I supposed to do? Follow him around and pull him off the girl."

"You're not funny Nathan!"

"Baby, come on, calm down." He sat down on the bed and motioned for her to sit by him but she shook her head, continuing to wear tracks into the carpet.

"How long?"

"Huh?"

"How long has he been having sex."

"Um, about 4 months."

"And you've known about it that long?" She shrieked, running a frazzled hand through her hair, this was way too much to handle in one day. First she couldn't make Jamie feel better, and then she finds out he was having sex, and then – within seconds- that her husband knew about it.

"He came to me before hand."

"He what?" She sat down at that, flopping her hands down behind her. "What do you mean he came to you?"

"He wanted to talk about it, make sure he was making the right decision."

"And you said, yeah, go for it, have fun, here're some condoms!" He reached over to rub at the worry lines that were marring her forehead only for her to swat his hand away. "Nathan!"

"That wasn't exactly how it went down."

"So tell me, tell me why you knew he was having sex, and why you didn't tell me."

"He came around Valentine's day.." Haley scoffed, Valentines day, they were never celebrating Valentines day again. "And he said that he loved Emma, very much, and that she'd asked him to be her first."

"For Valentinesv Day, how original." Haley scoffed again, the little hussy! Maybe she would give Lily permission to hit her.

"Haley, do you want to hear this or not?"

"Yeah, I want to hear it." She knew she was being ridiculous, but she couldn't help it. She felt like she'd lost her baby.

"I asked him if he was ready for that, and he said he was, said he loved her, and he wanted to be with her, but hadn't wanted her to feel pressured."

"He's just a child!" Haley cried, letting her head fall into her hands. "Keep going, I need to hear this."

Running a comforting hand up and down her back he continued. "He asked me if I thought he was making the right decision, and I told him only he'd know that, but I was proud of him for waiting, and being in love."

"Were they safe?" She asked, taking a few deep breaths, and looking nervously into her husbands eyes.

"I gave him some condoms that night, and I told him if he ever needed some to ask me. That it wasn't worth risking it, and I wouldn't get mad at him for asking."

"So what, you gave him free reign to knock on our door and say hey Mom, Dad, I need some rubbers so I can go have sex with my 17 year old girlfriend?"

"Haley, come on, it wasn't like that. You're being ridiculous."

"You knew our sixteen year old was having sex and you didn't tell me, Nathan, excuse me for taking a while to process it." Her nostrils flared as she raged at him, confused, she was glad that Jamie had felt able to talk to his dad about it, and that he and Emma had been protected, but she didn't think he was ready for that kind of responsibility, and she didn't understand why he hadn't talked to her about it too. In the past they'd always spoken about things together, the three of them.

"He asked me not to Haley, he begged me. I was proud of him for coming to me and talking to me about it before he had sex, for trusting me like that. I could never have done that with my dad." He reached out and pulled her toward him, inhaling the scent of her shampoo and kissing the top of her head.

"He's so young."

"He's the same age you were, baby, and he and Emma were together a lot longer than we were before we first made love." He reminded her, and she breathed in a deep chest shaking breath to calm herself down.

"We were married." She argued weakly, knowing Nathan was right, knowing they should be proud that Jamie was mature enough to come to Nathan with his questions and fears before hand.

"Would you have preferred he proposed?" He joked, knowing well what the answer was going to be.

"No, of course not, but god, Nathan, he's not like we were. You were living alone at sixteen, my parents were off here, there and everywhere leaving me to take care of myself. I've tried so hard to make sure our kids don't feel the need to grow up that fast. For gods sake I still wash Jamie's underwear for him, and yet he's old enough to be having sex."

"Well, maybe you should make him do his own laundry from now on."

"Ha ha. I'm serious Nathan, I never wanted Jamie to feel the need to be an adult before he needed to be. I don't want him to be having sex, and counting days 'til he goes to college, and god I really don't want to him to come and tell me he got some girl pregnant because he rushed into that adult life."

"Haley, he's not getting anyone pregnant. We told him about being safe, when he came to me I told him about safe, and you've heard him say a million times he's been around enough babies in this house to be set for a life time." He pulled her into his lap, tilting her face up to look at him. "I couldn't betray his trust, Haley, do you understand that?"

"I guess." She admitted reluctantly.

"We raised a good boy Haley, and he's growing up whether we like it or not, if I'd told him he couldn't have sex do you really think that would have stopped him?"

"No."

"No, so we should just be grateful it was with someone he loved, and not drunk at some party where who knows what could have happened."

"You're right I just, he's my baby."

"And he'll always be your baby, but you have to let him grow up, Hales."

Nodding that he was right, she accepted the kiss he placed on her lips, letting his lips move over hers, soothing her. "You okay now?"

"Not really." She laughed, "but I'm not so freaked out anymore either."

"I'll take that." He nodded, as she untangled herself from his arms and stood up.

"I think I'm going to go talk to him again before dinner."

"Do you want me to come too?" He asked and she nodded, thinking it would probably be a good idea, and reluctantly admitting that Jamie might even prefer to talk to his father alone, and if he asked for that she'd leave them without a fuss.

"Yeah, that's probably a good idea."

"Leave me alone." Jamie shouted through the door, over his music when he heard someone knock. "I'm not hungry."

"Jamie, we're coming in."

"Dad, just leave me alone." The teen grumbled, glaring at his parents who ignored his wishes and came into the room anyway; his mom sitting down on the end of his bed, his dad taking the desk chair beside her. "What is this, an intervention?"

"No, Jamie, I wanted to apologise." Jamie instantly felt bad at the look on his mom's face. He hadn't meant to take it out on her earlier, but she didn't understand and it just hurt so much, and in typical Scott fashion pain turned into anger.

"You don't have to." He eyed his dad nervously, usually if he upset his mom he'd have hell to pay when his dad found out.

"No, Sweetheart, I do. You're right, I never had to deal with losing your dad, not really, but people can break your heart in a million ways Jamie. Whether you're together or not, and I think both your dad and I will agree we've had our hearts broken a few times."

Nathan nodded, watching as Haley took Jamie's hand and the way his son crumpled against his mother, looking more like a boy, than the man he'd just told Haley their son had become. "But we're not going to pretend we know how you feel. We're also not going to let you stay up here in your room, alone, feeling worse. There's a house full of people who love you Jamie, and as much as it hurts it will get better. Who knows maybe one day you and Emma will be together, but if you don't that's okay too. Hey look at your Uncle Lucas, he's been in love a million times."

The trio laughed, Lucas' merry-go-round of love being an on going joke in the family.

"You know your Mom and I went through some hard times, and I know that it feels like the end of the world when the woman you love isn't with you, Jamie, but you'll survive son I promise." Although Jamie didn't know the ins and outs of his parents' history, he did know that they'd separated for a short time in highschool, and he could hear the pain that crept into his dad's voice on the rare occasions it was spoken about.

"Emma will always be your first love, Jamie. Your first time.."

Snapping out of his mothers embrace, Jamie's eyes turned feral at his father, his nostrils flaring the way his mothers had only moments beforehand. People always said Jamie looked like Nathan when he was angry, but at times like this Nathan had to beg to differ. He looked all Haley. "You told her! You promised! Damnit dad you swore!"

"Okay, first of all, don't swear at your father." Haley said, pulling Jamie back toward her, "and second of all, your Dad didn't tell me. Lily let it slip, and before you get mad at her she presumed your Dad had told me. Which he hadn't."

Jamie looked sceptically from one parent to the other.

"I didn't son."

"He didn't Jamie, and you know what I was mad at him for that, but I understand it too. I'm so proud of you for going to talk to you dad, and although I wish you'd made a different decision and waited, as long as you don't regret it, I won't either."

"I can't regret it Mom, I loved her, I still love her." Jamie said reluctantly, torn between his embarrassment at talking about sex with his Mom, and wanting her to know that he still knew he'd made the right choice in losing his virginity to Emma. That she'd raised him to make that right choice.

"You're growing up Jamie and it is so hard for me to see, but I know it's harder for you to do, and I'm sorry you have to feel pain like this."

"We both are."

"Yeah, we both are." Haley agreed, holding out her hand to grab her husband's. "But you are strong, smart, charming, beautiful boy."

"Mooom."

"You are." She laughed, happy to see the slight smile creep on his lips, "and we are so proud of the young man you've become, and if Emma can't see that, or isn't ready to see that, that's her loss, but you are going to have such a good life James Lucas Scott. I promise, and it's only just beginning. Just because your dad and I got married young doesn't mean you have to. I want you to experience everything you want, I want you to go the college you want, and play and travel.."

"And meet lots of girls." Nathan quipped and Haley shook her head.

"Well I don't know about that one, but makes lots of friends, and show the world how amazing you are."

Reluctantly Jamie had to admit his mom was making him feel better, even if it was slightly uncomfortable for him, he loved his parents, but he kind of felt too old for pep talks from his Mom, although he doubted Haley James Scott would ever stop giving them, something he was quietly grateful for.

"I love you Mom, and I am sorry about earlier."

"I know you are baby, I understand, now are you really not hungry or do you want to come down for dinner?"

"I'll come eat."

"Good, I think Natalie would just die if she didn't see her big brother before bed time." Haley joked, standing up and pulling Jamie with her.

"I'm sorry I thought you'd told her, Dad, I should know I can trust you."

Nathan just nodded his head as he stood up, patting Jamie on the back, letting him know he didn't hold it against him. "Come on, you can help me convince your sister she's too young for a bra."

"What?" Jamie asked as the trio left his room, Haley in the middle, dwarfed by two of the most important people in her life.

"See the things you miss when you hide out in your room." She teased. "You should know there's always something happening in this house."


End file.
